Airbrushing is a long-established form of applying a liquid to a desired surface that utilizes compressed air to atomize the liquid, such as a paint or lacquer, in an air stream before applying it to the desired surface. This technique has been used in various forms, including, for example, large and small-scale art work, for the application of paint on various types of clothing and for the application of lacquer on woodworking surfaces. However, the equipment necessary to create an airbrush design can be costly and complex to a novice artisan. The compressed air necessary to atomize the paint or lacquer for larger scale projects is typically supplied by an air compressor. While an air compressor can provide an almost unlimited supply of air, a compressor can be a costly option. In addition, a compressor and related airbrush apparatus may not be portable or easily transportable between locations. This can be overly burdensome depending on the user. Further, the paints and lacquers discussed above which are typically sprayed in the airbrushes are high viscosity fluids which, in many cases, need to be diluted to a lower viscosity to improve sprayability. This is a messy operation and introduces a variable in the overall process in the amount of color atomized per unit time.
For smaller scale airbrush applications, aerosol cans have been utilized to provide finite amounts of compressed air. However, depending on the size of the aerosol can, the amount of compressed air may not be sufficient to complete a desired task, thereby requiring frequent replacement. Furthermore, it is well known that certain aerosol products may contain inherent health risks and environmental concerns including the emission of fluorocarbons. Typical airbrushes also generally have a small feed chamber that must be filled with the fluid that is to be fed into the air stream and sprayed. This process is also a messy operation that requires cleaning of the parts involved.
A feature common to most airbrush devices is the mechanism by which the paint or lacquer is supplied to the nozzle of the airbrush for atomization by the compressed air. Typically, the fluid is drawn from a supply reservoir, such as a paint can, especially for larger projects. Utilizing this type of arrangement requires that the airbrush components, such as the sprayer head and supply tubes, be cleaned out before using other colors or fluids. This can be a tedious and time-consuming task to the user. If the user wants to airbrush multiple colors, yet does not wish to spend the time cleaning the airbrush components in between colors, components of the airbrush can be replaced with clean parts, such that a user can proceed with his/her project with minimal interruption. However, there is additional cost incurred with obtaining additional spare hardware for the airbrush apparatus.
When an airbrush is in operation, the atomized liquid is applied to a desired surface or object by the user. Most airbrushes are handheld devices that are free to spray in any direction and onto any surface or object as directed by the user. While this can be a benefit to a user for airbrushing large objects or surfaces, it can also pose a safety risk to inexperienced users and bystanders such that the user could accidentally spray atomized paint onto a surface or object other than the desired location. This includes accidental spraying of another person or himself/herself, potentially causing injury. Also, these types of airbrush devices are often more suitable for older users and not younger, novice users, such as children.